Buffalo Township is developing a draft data center ordinance as officials work to establish rules for proposed facilities.
A Moratorium Clock That's Already Ticking
The draft is the township's answer to a problem it created for itself on purpose. Buffalo Township supervisors imposed a moratorium on data center development in August 2026, giving officials a defined runway to write enforceable rules before any developer could file an application. That moratorium expires in February 2027, according to reporting by TribLIVE, and the township joined a growing list of local governments using the same moratorium-then-draft approach to get ahead of developer interest.
That approach tracks with what's already happened one county over. Buffalo Township supervisors approved creating the curative amendment at their Aug. 12 meeting, a process that, per the Butler Eagle, gives the township 180 days to draft hard rules into its code and effectively serves as a six-month pause on developers pitching projects. Adams, Center and Lancaster townships in Butler County had already taken similar measures, the paper reported.
What the Draft Ordinance Would Require
The draft ordinance would establish rules for data center proposals.
Upper Burrell's ordinance, approved unanimously on Oct. 22, mandates a closed-loop system for any water-based cooling, according to WESA. That same ordinance sets a 1,000-foot setback from homes and caps backup diesel generator use at 120 hours per year, per generator.
Noise has emerged as a concern in discussions of data center development.
Ordinance Discussions Continue
Noise remains a concern as the township considers its draft ordinance.
The draft was sent to the Butler County Planning Commission for review on Oct. 14, with adoption anticipated by December.
Township solicitor Brian Farrington cited noise, buffering and screening as concerns. He also noted that a use not specifically addressed by the ordinance could still have a chance of being considered permitted by exception, giving the township some flexibility once the rules are in place.
How Buffalo Township's Timeline Compares
The push to finalize rules before a moratorium clock runs out isn't unique to Buffalo Township. Butler Township supervisors approved data center regulations on Oct. 13, 2026, the Standard-Speaker reported. Upper Burrell and Hazle townships entered their own 180-day moratoriums in May and June 2026, respectively, to buy time for zoning ordinances, according to WPSU, which also reported that 16 data center facilities in development or already operating in Pennsylvania hold active sales-tax exemption certificates from the state Department of Revenue.
The regional pace of proposals helps explain why so many townships are moving at once. FracTracker Alliance researchers identified 12 data center proposals across six Southwestern Pennsylvania counties since mid-2025, and found that if projects with disclosed power plans reached their highest stated capacities, they would add about 12.5 gigawatts of gas-fired generation to the region. The group also found that both open-loop and closed-loop cooling systems can require millions of gallons of potable water, and that data centers can produce constant noise comparable to a jackhammer or jet engine running at all hours of the day.
Those stakes were on full display in Springdale, where developer Dynamo DC has proposed converting a former coal-fired power plant site into a data center campus, according to PublicSource. Concerns about noise and pollution from 124 proposed diesel generators dominated public comments at an Oct. 28 hearing on that project, underscoring the kind of resident pushback Buffalo Township's planning commission appears to be trying to head off before it reaches a similar stage.
